Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-10-08
fight of sters Id op.l the door
into what sup. .ose is the sane

] tum.
. The editor, a young fellow with
a big quld of virginia's virgin
product initiating his cheek. de
scends from his type clse and in
: veigles his victim into writing q
| personal, and had the invader been
egotistic he might have had his
entire family history inserted, so
/. kind was the editor. Not caring
for more than three lines, the PIT
per was compelled to go TO press
with two columns devoted to
"Snhscrihe for the Virginlan; only
one lollara year."
Virginia papers have sinfuence
! Lin one way at least, and 5tlIatai ssill
.Ekeesi d % 61sftg ofssfe
l Estate an Il ist II dlffffbe 6saa
Z sertions Of some MIN who has 4
!, new idea 0fthe way TO pay it.
4 A State debt Of thirty millions of
I dollars has controlled the politics
4 OF Virginia since the war. Though
less than the debt Of many ofour
Northern cities, administrations
have gone IN and out OF power on
this Issue. One year the plan is TO
rcpudia'e, another is to pay it in
tact. another only four per cent,
and so on.
Malone and Riddleberger won
the confidence of the people and
lost it, and Lee defeated Wise for
governor on this issue. liz fact,
thirty millions of debt l;es like
a great nightmare on the boly po-
little of Virginia.
Politics are in a state of chaos.
No good men can be found to fill
the State Offices. The salaries are
too small and the election expenses
too large. The national Offices are
the only ones fought over.
"Come South, live thres years,
marry one of our girls, behave
yourself, and you can have all the
State Offices you want" was the
frequent invitation of the friends [
made.
Fonr hundred and fifty a year
for assembly, senate and judgeship
is not enticing.
''But why" / ask the first Of
ficcr, 'does not the State raise it's
debt by taxation?"
1raxation," langhs he, "silnply
because people will not pay their
taxes"
wont pay their taxes!" To
me, as IL Northern man, this is
simply inexplicable. "Tben why
don't the State sell out those WHO
will notpay9"
"Well, [ reckon it does. half
the small farms in Northampton
and Accomac are for sale, but no
one has money to buy, and would
notsbe healthy for one if he did,"
I see the point, and ask no more
question.
Virginia once refused to pay al
leglance to the general govern
ment; now her people refuse al
legiance to her.
alike father, like child" think
as see hat my companion wishes
to change the topic.
In my Virginia travels 1 expert
enced one particularly delight
ful manifestation Of Southern hos
pitality, being invited to spend a
week at the home of Captain
Brown, one of my chance travelling
companions. We left the cars at
a little station called Tasley. There,
standing at the door, was team
of thoroughbreds hitched to q
rickety old carriage and held by a
little negro whose bare black feet
did not reach it's floor, but swung
pendulum like between that and
the faded seat cushion. AS we APP.
preached the wagon two rows Of
shining ivory were exposed to
view, and q smile of really startling
proportions spread over his fea-
lures.
The ride, even In the rain, would
have been charming but for the
/ furious gait that the team took
through tue muddy roads. The
captains weight, out-balancing
mine three to one, would cause the
old carriage to rock like ship at
sea, and round corners on two
wheels, forcing me to grab first the
captain and then the carriage GOV.
Ter, greatly to his amusement, and
his hearty laugh would ring out
and urge his long-llmbed team on
to new endeavors.
Past thick glades of pine timber,
a!ternated by brilliantly green
stretches of fat meadow land COW
cred with rank grass, would we
4 dash. The shrill cav of the crow
fell discordantly on our ears, and
up from the woods came floating
balmily the resinous odor Of the
pines.
Now we would turn sharply upon
a negro cabin, with its window full
of black faces, and Its owner would
tip his apologize hat in deep rev
erence.
Presently a small herd of lank
calves would scatter from the cen
tire of the road, anda nest of grunt.
ing swine would cause us to check
our speed etbey leisurely made
room for us to pass. 1t twas ascene
at once quiet and busy, lonely yet
inhabited.